Westfield SEiW

Although the Westfield is a cool looking little car at rest, you need to see it blasting along a winding road to fully appreciate its beauty. (click the photo to see a higher resolution version)

What makes a great person? For me, that's pretty easy; it's a combination of integrity and a slightly twisted personality. The person who would rather be resigned to permanent guest duty on the Jerry Springer show, then ever delve into the depths of hypocrisy, and who regularly finds humor in strange places, is the type of person whose company I enjoy. As a devout car enthusiast, I judge cars the same way I judge people. Give me a vehicle that shouts out "Here is my focus, I do it well, and I enjoy it. All else be damned!" and I am one happy camper. Given that description, I believe that the Westfield and all the other cars faithful to the Lotus Super Seven concept are worthy of worship. What else goes down a winding road with such conviction? Such involvement? Such character? Such... unbridled fun? I first crossed paths with this particular Westfield in the summer of 1997. My then employer had just hired a new Executive VP who was to start our California office. I exchanged a few e-mails with the new guy to check him out and much to my surprise I discovered that he owned a Westfield. But not just any Westfield. He owned the actual car that Road & Track magazine tested in their March 1996 issue. I remember reading that article and thinking to myself "I need one of those."

After that initial e-mail exchange, I thought to myself "Damn, we hired someone who owns a Westfield. This company actually did something right!" I immediately began planning how I could manage this exec's projects, and somehow, someway drive his car. In retrospect, I'm sure after that same e-mail exchange the new executive leaned back in his chair, the same way that executives have always leaned back in their chairs as a precursor to an epiphany, and whispered to himself "Damn, this company actually has an employee who knows about Westfields. Maybe this won’t be such a bad gig after all." Needless to say, I implemented my hastily formed plan and found a reason to go to the California office and drive the car -- it was magical, and I was hooked.The new executive and I quickly formed a friendship based on our shared passion for things automotive, and even did a 100 mile roadtrip together in the Westfield in '98 to attend the Monterey Historics. He always wanted me to have the car when it was time for it to leave his care, and in the Spring of '01 that time finally arrived. I flew to San Jose on Easter Sunday and left the next morning at 6:00am with my new car and over 900 miles of road ahead of me. That little journey was a fitting start to my adventures with the car. Once home we spent a happy 2 years together until a seemingly minor accident shook things up and gave the car an opportunity to impersonate a phoenix. Rising from the proverbial ashes as a faster, lighter, better car – in fact, it is so different than the car I bought in 2001 that it should qualify as my second Westfield.Those first 2 years are covered in the Beginning, Registration, and Accident sections, while Rebirth onward covers the second incarnation.